Common
Dream Symbols

Here are a few common
dream symbols.This
list is *not* meant to be comprehensive,just a small guide to
help you get started. I prefer to interpret symbols within the context
of the dream they appear in, rather than piece by piece which would leave
too much room for error. There are thousands of symbols, and it depends
upon the context of one's own personal dream as to what they all mean for
him/her. Look at it this way...a dream is like a puzzle, and although there
are several pieces that are quickly pieced together because they are so
obvious, the puzzle isn't complete until all the pieces are placed together
bit by bit. Then you have the complete picture...until then, you'll only
have disjointed images that don't add up to anything coherent, and you'll
still be confused.

So please remember that
and try not to piecemeal a dream...it needs to be fully interpreted or
it will most likely be totally wrong. That is why I rarely answer
emails where people are asking the symbology of 1 single symbol unless
they show they are interpreting the entire dream and just need a little
help.

You can find many more
symbols throughout the dream interpretations I have up on this site, via
the Contest Winners' Interpretations,
and I would rather you see the symbols interpreted in this way, because
it shows how each puzzle piece/symbol fits together and makes a complete
picture; rather than selecting one or two from a list and thinking that's
all there is to it. There is a lot more to comprehensive dream interpreting
than that. A typical dream will actually have a variety of symbols, and you know you are on the right track when
the various symbols which seemed to be unrelated, actually reinforce each other symbol within the interpretation.
The entire dream tells the true story, not just 1 or 2 symbols picked
out of it, and each individual will have different nuances affecting the
dream...such as daily influences perhaps integrating into the dream. For
example: let's say you saw a movie yesterday about a vicious grizzly bear
and it was frighteningly graphic, and then later that night you dreamt
about a bear. This would be less meaningful than if you suddenly had a
dream about a bear one night, without prior influences. That could be entirely
different.

Now you can read actual
dream interpretations I've given to the Monthly Dream Interpretation Contest
Winners, and also see new dream symbols that appear in their dreams which
aren't listed here. Some symbols that are covered:guns,
snakes, shoes, killing, chase dreams, cutting, bleeding, death, eyes, lake,
water, chair, zombies, chakras, work, job, co-workers, bed, father, ship,
blanket; many more.Go to the Contest
Winners Page to look them up in an actual dream interpretation.

If
you would like a good dream symbols book, then please check my Dream
Links and look for the link to Betty Brethard's page--she has an excellent
book. Whatever you do, thumb through every book first and avoid ones that
have really outlandish symbols...Zolar's comes to mind as an example of
what I would avoid, but that is my own humble opinion & to each his
own. If you think you would be interested in purchasing my book when I
am done, drop me a line--it would be nice & encouraging to believe
that I have an eager audience out there :)

One
last important thought: I get so many emails that go something like
this: "I dreamed that my boyfriend cheated on me...does this mean he will
in waking life?" and "I dreamed that my father died...I'm scared! Is this
a precognitive dream?" Most dreams are * NOT * precognitive,
and once one learns the subtle differences between a precognitive dream
v.s. a regular dream, they are easily discernable and will put your mind
at ease. The first thing everyone should consider is the typical universal
symbology of the dream images. For instance, death symbolizes the end of
something that's ready for change, and a new beginning. Most people start
out highly resistive to changes of any sort, and see any upcoming change
in their life as something foreboding and scary. Death
dreams are usually about change.

Dreams
about a boyfriend cheating on you:

are most likely--though not always--fear-based
dreams. There may be a nagging fear eating away in your subconscious that
is breaking through in a dream, or you may have fear of abandonment issues
rooted in childhood that are affecting your dreams and this would then
be a signal for you to get a handle on this problem before it grows into
something that could hurt the relationship. Or it could be that you noticed
inattentive behavior towards you by your boyfriend, while he has been spending
less time with you and being cryptic when you ask him questions, so a warning
flag in the form of a dream has appeared to help you become more aware
and start dealing with this issue. But take it from someone who has been there/done that, in the world of
paranoid cheating dreams: they are usually about your own insecurities, and not some kind of cosmic message that you are
dealing with a cheater. Don't wreck your current relationship because this fear-based dream pushed your emotional buttons. Of course it did; this is
obviously something you need to heal & work on, so you can grow & move past feeling this wretched & scared. I used my dream journal & dream-work
to get past this fear, and I have been blessed with a long & happy marriage. At one time, this dream seemed so real I would wake up completely ticked-off at
my man, ready to accuse him of all sorts of terrible things I saw him doing in my dream, lol! I resisted the urge to slap him, and worked on my own issues,
instead. I urge you to do the same, if this is an issue for you. You'll be much happier with the end result of a happy relationship. And although I joke about it
a little bit, I remember how scary these dreams can be. They frighten you so much, you are thinking of ending the relationship before you end up getting hurt, am I right?
Don't go there--learn more about your dreams first, and what they are really telling you. You don't run your car off a cliff because it might be in an accident one
day--so, don't kick your guy to the curb until you figure out if this is a fear-based dream you need to work on as an issue in your life, or an actual heads-up from
your subconscious picking up on tell-tale clues. You aren't the only person having this fear-based dream--whoo, do I ever tons of
email from you people, ready to call it quits! Proceed with caution, my friend.

The above are several
examples of how dreams can be fear-based or showing your negative viewpoints
more than anything else, and one should not suddenly dump their boyfriend
because they dream he cheated on them. It's been done many times, and it's
a sad commentary on just how important it is for people to learn how to
understand their own dreams more effectively, to save themselves much heartache.
Once you learn how to do this, you will be relieved and amazed at how much
clearer your life becomes. It no longer seems like one big puzzle. That
said, let's get to some common dream symbols!

These
are not 100% right in every person's situation, but they are common symbols
and their meanings to give you a point of reference to go by. Evaluate
your own individual dream against this info to see if it feels right in
your case. If it doesn't--chuck it and move on. Have fun exploring!

TEETH
: My most popular requests for dream interpretation
are by far, dreams about teeth falling out. Apparently this is quite disturbing
to people who have this dream...they simply MUST know what it means! In
my experience, a dream about one's teeth falling out usually symbolizes
that the dreamer is having a challenge getting their voice heard, or feelings
acknowledged. This may be referring to their conversations with a particular
person such as their significant other, boss, or friend; or can be generalized
for people who are shy, to include almost everyone they come in contact
with. The dreamer needs to brush up on conversational skills, believe in
the value of their own opinion, learn how to be less intimidated by aggressive
people, and become more assertive and make their voice heard. Once they
do that, this dream (which is a common recurring dream) should evolve &
show improvement...or disappear altogether.

Although most people I hear from seem to find the above interpretation of the teeth theme fits their situation, there have been a few who think it's not quite right for them. I received the following email from a savvy visitor who eloquently shared with me what she believes the symbol means for her, and I think it's so good that I want to share it with all of you. Dream symbols must be personalized for each individual person, so general interpretations don't always fit the bill, like I've said repeatedly throughout this site. Please remember this, and remember to interpret your entire dream's context and not just an isolated symbol.

Here is Katie's account of her experience, in her own words :

Your site is great. I noted with interest your interpretation on teeth falling out, which is the same interpretation that many others use as well (needing to be heard etc etc.) I myself had this dream repeatedly and, as you noted, was dying to know what it meant as it was always disturbing. I was always unsatisfied with the "needing to be heard" thing.

You might note that many people who have this dream are feeling worried, dismayed or horrifed as their teeth are falling out painlessly, sometimes even attempting to keep the teeth from falling out.

Finally I came across a different interpretation, which fitted much better, for me, in fact, the dreams lessened. so I thought you might be interested. For me, the dream means I am talking TOO MUCH. It means indiscretion, telling secrets, gossiping unwisely. and its my subconscious warning me. Now, if I have this dream, I know I have been unwise with my big mouth!
Trying to cram the teeth back in, or stop them falling out, or trying to find a dentist, is literally trying to stop the words/gossip from coming out, and the feelings of dismay are mirroring the regret of being too revealing - usually to an enemy. I am much more aware of this now (and not such a big mouth!)
Maybe you could add this to your interpretations.
- K

Terrific dreamwork, Katie! Thanks for emailing me with this great info. I'm sure you'll help many grateful people deal with their similar frustrating recurring dream theme.

PEOPLE
: Every person that appears in a dream is supposed
to represent an aspect of one's Self, and not actually be about that other
person at all; rather, it is a quality or characteristic about that person
that your dream is focusing on, and how it applies to YOU. Try to think
about what aspect(s) this could be. It can be something you admire and
wish to emulate and incorporate into your own personality, or it could
be a more negative characteristic that you may dislike intensely in your
waking life, but which is telling you something about yourself and your
beliefs, judgements, & attitude. It could be a call to alter your thinking
in some manner, in order to be more open-minded and accepting of this aspect
in their and your own personality, because it is hampering your spiritual
growth & making life harder for yourself. The other person in your
dream is always mirroring something back to you about YOURSELF. Try to
discover what that something is, and go from there. Once you get it through
your head that the other person's appearance in your dream is NOT about
them, but really about YOU, then you will get much more successful interpreting
your own dreams. This takes constant reinforcing--I still find myself wanting
to think it's about that other person instead of me. The only exception
I know of is if the dream is precognitive.

FLYING
: usually represents freedom from the physical
body, as we experience in sleep & while dreaming where we don't use
our physical bodies but instead use our mental & spiritual bodies to
experience our dreams. It's one of the first things people attempt to do
when they gain control of their dreams and start lucid dreaming. Everybody
seems to have a natural inclination to want to fly, unless that is changed
by a fear of flying due to a frightening incident in their waking lives.
Flying = freedom; either a desire for freedom, an "escape" from restraints
in your physical life (like a mini-vacation for the mind) or any number
of possiblities. Tie it in with the context of your dream...what were you
doing in your dream besides flying? How did it make you feel? etc. Also,
the type of flying I'm referring to, here, is the person flying on their
own without an airplane or any aircraft at all. That would be a different
symbol dealing with spiritual awareness, among other things.

SCHOOL
: This type of dream relates to your current
"lesson in life," and if you learn how to interpret it, you'll find out
how you are progressing...yes, folks, you're still taking tests and getting
graded! Our "true selves" are our souls, and not our physical bodies. You
are a spirit/soul having a physical dream, not the other way around. Ever
feel like your life is like a play, and you are acting out some role that
you don't even understand, even suprising yourself with your actions sometimes?
Bingo! When we sleep, that proverbial "Veil of Forgetfulness" that prevents
us from "cheating on the test" is lifted, and we are shown what type of
progress we are making (or, *GULP*, not making) and given guidance on what
to do next. We always have free will in our waking physical lives, though,
and if we stubbornly refuse to finish our tests, then we have that right--but
we are doomed to repeat it until we pass it; and each time we turn away
from it, the next time it will be more unpleasant until finally we are
forced to acknowledge it's importance for our growth. The things we consider
vitally important in our waking physical lives are not nearly as important
as the TRUE reason we are here, which is to overcome our shortcomings so
that we may get closer to our Source/God/Higher Power. To avoid learning
the lesson is like forcing your soul to a fate similar to the mythical
greek god named Sisyphus (thanks, Leah!) who was doomed to keep rolling
a boulder uphill for eternity, only to watch it roll back down & have
to repeat the same tedious hard labor again & again. That sounds like
school to me! So pay heed to the messages in dreams about schools, and
you may advance faster. Do you *really* want to repeat kindergarten AGAIN?

CAR
or VEHICLE : This is supposed to symbolize
you in your waking life, in your physical body. Your physical body is used
by the soul pretty much like we use a car...it's driven for awhile and
we give it gas/nourishment & repairs as needed until it stops running,
and then we go back home. Pay attention to your car, which symbolizes your
VESSEL/physical body. Are you behind the wheel, or is someone else in control?
You want to be in charge of your life, naturally. What is the color &
condition of this vehicle? Do you seem to be driving it the right way,
on a safe road in good condition, or is the road rocky, winding, or suddenly
ends at a cliff? That would signal you need redirection. The bigger the
vehicle, the more energy you may be successfully using for your daily lessons,
depending on the context of your dream. Note all clues as to how you are
faring, and make adjustments accordingly.

HOUSE
: You drive a car, but typically you LIVE in
a house/apartment. Dreams about a HOUSE symbolize a larger aspect of your
Self, and the aspects of Self which make the whole. Each room is said to
symbolize a different aspect of your Self; for example:

AN
ATTIC symbolizes your Higher Self, and your spiritual development
& progress. Look at other symbols in the attic of your dream, and try
to evaluate what they mean. Also pay attention to the feeling you
experience in your dream...is it pensive, enlightening or what, exactly?
All these things are clues for you.

A
BATHROOM would symbolize the need for cleansing/purging/elimination
of something in your life that isn't quite working, or that has served
it's purpose and now it's time to move on.

A
KITCHEN would symbolize the need or act of supplying nourishment
or food for the body/mind/soul...whatever is currently "cooking" or developing
in your life. If the food is plentiful, you have what you need. If the
cupboard is bare, time to go shopping for new nourishment, and you need
to figure out what is needed for that "shopping list."

A
DINING ROOM is similar to the kitchen, but has more to do with immediate
needs for supplying & utilizing nourishment, and less with the preparation
or taking stock of those needs.

THE
MAIN ROOM or LIVING ROOM symbolizes your daily interactions with
others, and often you will have other people appearing in your dreams in
this room. Remember, they represent aspects of YOUR Self, and not themselves.
(See PEOPLE, above)

THE
UPSTAIRS symbolizes your spiritual awareness aspect of Self, or
the Higher Self that holds all the keys or knowledge to this life's role
you are acting out, and always has your higher good looked after, no matter
how it might seem otherwise.

THE
DOWNSTAIRS/BASEMENT symbolizes your subconscious mind aspect of
Self, which deals with habits, old coping skills, automation, ego. That's
usually the part of our Selves that makes us feel "torn" between knowing
we should do one thing, but inexplicably ending up doing the opposite.
(Don't you HATE that??) Old belief patterns & fears have to be corrected,
if that is the case. Tackle & overcome it, and you will feel much more
peaceful about your life.

THE
GROUND FLOOR of a house represents your daily agenda; what's currently
going on in your life.

REVISITING
OLD HOUSES FROM CHILDHOOD OR EARLIER TIMES: This points to issues
that probably are resurfacing in your current life, and need to be looked
at, analyzed, and healed so you can move forward and not look back. If
you find yourself repeating the same old tired mistakes, or dealing with
the same old tired fears, chances are you will have this dream.

A
HALLWAY symbolizes that you have reached an area that is necessary
to journey through in order to get to the other side, and it may be a narrow
path that has to be traversed with care and awareness. If you have that
"closed in, claustrophobic feeling" then you need to expand your awareness/open
your mind to more possiblities for completing this phase of your journey.

A
PORCH symbolizes perhaps a metaphor of being undecided, such as
the saying, "I'm still on the porch on that decision." It could be
symbolic of being contemplative, or uncommitted or withdrawn. It
could be something entirely different such as being on the threshold of
a new sense or an extension of Self. It depends on the entire context
of the dream. Back or Front Porch? Screened-in or open? Messy
or neat? Sparse or furnished? All these details add to the
overall symbolism.

TORNADO
: this symbol points to emotional turmoil,
as in a "whirlwind of emotions"; and/or rapid or sudden changes in your
life. It is a sign to "get a grip" on what is possibly spinning out of
control & deal more effectively with your emotions. Meditation and
finding some private "think time" for yourself would be a good idea.

COLORS
:

PINK
: the color of love in all it's forms. Often used to show healing
through love.

RED
: passion, anger.

BLACK
: the unconscious mind; void; death of the old.

GREY
: fear, confusion.

WHITE
: truth, "coming clean", purity; can also be symbolic of death &
new beginnings.

GREEN
: healing, growth, newness.

BLUE
: spirituality; could be a metaphor for "being blue" (look at context
of dream).

YELLOW
: peacefulness, hope (as in "sunny disposition"); could be a cowardice
metaphor.

NUMBERS
: I am not a numerologist, and you would likely
do better to contact one via a search engine. I will put a few basic numbers
here.

THREE
: (common dream symbol) the trinity of the Father, Son & Holy
Spirit; the 3 principles uniting in harmony, as in body-mind-spirit harmony.
This dream has an important spiritual message for you--pay attention!

FIVE
: changes!

What, you want more?
Ok, basic numerology involves adding double digits together oftentimes,
but there are exceptions--here is a link I recommend that can be of great
help, and you can get a free reading that's pretty amazing. Here
is the link:
NUMBERQUEST @http://www.numberquest.com/numerology/report/index.html

TELEPHONE
: This is considered a "message" symbol
and you are to pay close attention to it. Are you the one doing the
calling, or being called? Are you having difficulty with the phone
in some way, or is someone annoying or threatening as they talk; can you
not hear anyone on the line...what is said and who says it? All this
needs to be factored in together within the full context of the dream.
Do look at this symbol closely. Consider it your subconscious saying,
"HELLOOOOO!?!"

BABY
& or PREGNANCY : newness or creation in
your life; a new aspect of self is being formed and coming into being!
Or you may just be worried to death about that unprotected sex you had
a few weeks ago and will be dreaming next about contracting AIDS, Gonorrhea,
Syphilis, Chlamydia and numerous other STD's so your subconscious is hammering
at you for being stupid. Hopefully it's the first symbol. Did
you know that 63% of these infections occur in persons under age 25?
But, I digress.

Various
Bird Symbology :

White
Dove : well known symbol of peace; a symbol of the
Holy Spirit descending on Christ, as depicted in many artistic works.
A pair of white doves is a common symbol of love and devotion.

Mourning
Dove : commonly thought of as a potential symbol
of upcoming death to someone you know, but only if it is seen in unusual
circumstances and not just eating at the bird feeder or sitting on a telephone
line.

Eagle
: Among the 7 mortal sins, depicts pride; among the
4 cardinal virtues, justice. Symbol of John the Evangelist, depicting
spiritual cognition, faith, healing and ascension. Similar powerful
symbol of the Great Spirit to the American Indians, who use it's feathers
in many ceremonial dress & implements.

Goose
: symbol of fidelity and loyalty. Could also
be a metaphor for
"being goosed" or "acting like a goose."

Ostrich
: closing eyes to unpleasant facts. Just
mentioning "Y2K" will make many ostriches out of you! <smile>
Also a symbol of meditation, since the Ostrich parent does not sit and
hatch it's eggs, but lets the sun do it's work while it guards them vigilantly.

Owl
: wisdom, as portrayed in so many children's stories
and cartoons.

Peacock
: pride, vanity and showing off due to the male's
proud strut; but the male does this as part of his mating ritual to get
the attention of the female, so I would apply this as such. It is
used to symbolize the American CBS network, and a metaphor could be "showing
your true colors." The peacock also symbolizes joy in the afterlife.
True story: my mother & I visited my grandmother's grave one
afternoon to find a living, breathing peacock standing there staring at
us. When I found out that it symbolized "joy in the afterlife," you
can imagine how special that was. How often does one find a
peacock standing on a grave? Coincidence, my foot!

Nightingale
: symbolizes yearning and pain; in Christianity
it
symbolizes the longing for heaven.

Stork
: instantly recognizable in our culture as a
symbol that a baby has been delivered or is due, possibly due to the young
stork's habit of gratefully feeding it's parents when it becomes a fledgling;
or due to the stork's return after winter migration, when nature begins
anew.

Swan
: transformation, as in from "ugly duckling" into
a beautiful swan. Also symbolizes loyalty and fidelity.

Turkey
: Is any American unfamiliar with the symbology
of "Turkey Day?" Also referred to as a metaphor often used to describe
something as being silly, or an embarrassing failure or dud.

Vulture
: impending death, or a metaphor for waiting to take
advantage of someone in dire trouble, as in "the vultures are circling."

Egg
: symbolizes primal beginnings from which all life
springs forth;
also in Christianity this is a symbol of resurrection (ever wonder
where the thought of Easter Eggs came from?), as in Christ breaking out
of his tomb similar to a chick breaking free from it's egg. Could
also have metaphorical influence, such as the age-old question, "Which
came first--the chicken or the egg?" In this manner it could be saying,
"Some questions can never be answered by mere humans, so quit agonizing
over a problem without solutions and deal with what-is, as it is."

Other
types of symbology involving birds : metaphors
such as
"bird-brain", "You eat like a bird", "birds of a feather flock
together," "that's for the birds", "A bird in the hand is worth 2 in
the
bush", "feathered friends", etc. Just apply the metaphor to the
context of your dream to get the gist of what the symbology entails.
Also helpful is relating bird dream symbols to song lyrics. Think
of how many different songs mention birds in one way or another.

If you are reading this from different cultures around the world, please make sure you read this paragraph, because it is very important! My own experiences & symbolism are from my own
culture here in America, and I want all of you to enjoy reading about dream symbols on my site, but please always remember that you may find many symbols are different in each culture, and
carry different meanings which may change the message of your dream. For example, in America a black cat is often known as a symbol of bad luck, but in Japan a black cat symbolizes
good luck. Big difference, totally different meaning in an American's dream v.s. a Japanese's dream, see? So please try to find dream symbols for your own culture, to make sure that you
are getting correct interpretations.

* * Please note: I get a ton of emails from people, asking me to tell them what
symbols mean that are already answered on this site. I can't answer all those emails
over & over again, so please look here first, or use the Google Search engine (on my home page entrance). Thanks!

More Dream Symbols!

* Read through each dream interpretation symbol below to see if there are any that you are looking for, then click on that link to go there:

Dream Symbols: city, Advertising Convention, bright light, religious items,
department store, huge building, wearing white flowing gown, Progress as you look but
don't BUY, One-way only, no backtracking allowed, frustrated, breathless, Feel like
Someone is following you, Room of dressy men's clothing ; you cannot see connection with
spirituality, one single exit, Night has fallen, CARS line the street going UPHILL,
hearing minister's voice from farther up the hill, but ignore and duck back into the store
you didn't even seem to like at all.

Dream Symbols: One of my friends was recently killed in a car accident, I have been
praying to be able to see her in a dream, remember her lying on a bed that may have been
mine, The room was very dim, but light was coming in through a window,
"You do know don't you that I'm not really here."; bruised & strange looking eyes
and the blanket you did not want lifted, guy , hug, clung desperately,
I didn't want her to leave, I was scared, crying, I told her I'd never forget her;
her birthday.

**
More to follow as time permits ** But please remember--I'm not putting
an A-Z list up here. Maybe I will put them all in my book one day, or you can check the book list
available on the links page. Better yet, take the tips on this site and start your own
journal for inner guidance that can't be beat!

** Remember, all these
are generalizations and each individual dream must be interpreted on it's
own merit, by the individual dreamer. You can take in suggestions and advice,
but don't see them as gospel in your case unless it truly seems to fit
your dream scenario and FEELS RIGHT to you. Your intuition will let you
know if you have hit on something; otherwise you'll feel a nagging sense
of doubt.